Supermommy

One day at the grocery store I was just trying to get in and out of the store without a child melt down, and to do so, I move fairly quickly through the store.  Time is the enemy in the store, then begging begins and whining and then soon Jasmine has to go potty, etc. The rest of the trip was a blur and I don't even know the details, but I do remember that as I am checking out of the grocery store my checker has no one to help bag my groceries.  So, I begin packing them myself, and when I am almost done a young guy arrived and offered to help me. I said, as I am bagging the last bag or so, that its alright. He then said to me, "Ok, I see the big "S" on your chest", as he laughed and backed away!  I took a step back and looked at the young guy, and then at my full grocery cart, and my kids ready to go home, and was a little offended but, I needed to get home.  Later it occurred to me that I am not a Supermommy, though I had been trying hard to be one.

What is a 'Supermommy'? Well to me, its the kind of mom who can balance everything.  When my first daughter was born, I had the hardest most sleep deprived 4 months of my life. Jasmine cried so much, I even began to call her the "difficult" baby.  After that things started getting easier and by her first birthday I thought I could do it all and be Supermommy. Although I didn't go back to work, being ready for all that could happen with my new little girl was my job.  I was prepared for everything with my diaper bag full of back-up plans and Just-In-Case's, all created based on my previous experiences with Jasmine.  When my second girl was born everything was thrown into a whirlwind again. My second daughter was a much happier baby though, and became my "easy" baby, after a few months of sleepless nights.  While I was pregnant with both children, I was very forgetful, and for some reason with my second child the forgetfulness has at times, stuck with me. I still try to be prepared and have my Supermommy diaper bag. It is a backpack diaper bag that my wonderfully thoughtful husband bought me for my birthday when he noticed me spending months trying to find the 'perfect' one.  I am still thrown by what I forget some days! I have been on overnight trips and discovered I packed no baby wipes, or so low on diaper cream I had to buy more right away.  No big deal, we travel in the US so drugstores are everywhere, but it makes me feel bad when I forget things.

If being a stay at home mommy is my job, I am not always at my best. My boss, would have pulled me into their office for a meeting many times, if I had one!  Oh wait, my husband has pulled me aside a few times and told me to relax! I somehow managed to injure my back this weekend, and now I feel I can not do my job the way I would like to.  I want to be everywhere, doing everything, but my back pain hinders me.  After a few days of having my husband take Jasmine to preschool, I have liked the extra time I have not driving back and forth. I have even thought it would be nice if I could have more days where I am not the only one trying to meet every need of the kids, when I am feeling better. I could have more time for me, and get more accomplished for the family, and not just the kids. I have realized in the last few weeks I give everything to my kids and family and do not leave much for me.  How can I be a Supermommy and give myself the care I need to not go hurting my back from constantly carrying my one year old around? Maybe someday I will get back to a Superme, until then maybe its okay for just my kids to think I am a super mom.